Monthly Features

"Here’s some great news for readers, writers, and book lovers everywhere: book stores in America are making a comeback. Between 2009 and 2015, the number of independent book sellers rose by 35%, and in 2018 many of those book sellers are thriving, despite competition from big name sellers like Amazon. The reason for that, according to one Harvard researcher, is that people still value what he calls the three C’s of independence bookselling:community, curation, and convening. Lucky for Durham, The Regulator Bookshop has all of these things in spades.

Since 1976, when original owners Tom Campbell and John Valentine opened the store, The Regulator has been all about fostering and contributing to its community. Named after a group of North Carolinians who led a rebellion against colonial officials in the late 1760’s, The Regulator Bookshop has always welcomed subversive attitudes, progressive leaning views, and most importantly, a healthy exchange of ideas. When the time came for Tom and John to give up the reins to the business, they didn’t like the idea of selling the shop to strangers. They wanted the store to remain rooted in the tradition they began over forty years ago. That’s where Elliot and Wander come in."

"Many people who live in Durham now don’t remember the days when our downtown was a sleepy no-man’s-land with empty storefronts and lonely sidewalks.

These days, the sidewalks are bustling. People live right inside the downtown loop (or just outside of it). Folks are walking to work in the morning and to restaurants and bars in the evening. And more people than ever are working downtown, even if they don’t live there. In 2016, Yvette West and her family decided to add an essential piece to Durham’s changing landscape – a full-service urban market. Downtown Durham’s very own bodega.

When I walk into Bulldega on a sunny, pre-spring day in February, I’m met with a lively energy: Ali Farka Toure on the speakers, fresh coffee brewing, and colorful produce from local farms being arranged in stacks. With exposed brick walls and six-foot windows, the 2,500 square foot space feels open, but still packs in a lot of inventory. In a sunlit corner at the back of the shop, I sit down with William Drake – Bulldega’s official produce manager and one of the unofficial idea men - over a cup of locally roasted coffee. Will fills me in on the many hats Bulldega is wearing in downtown Durham."